A Million Steps: Discovering the Lebanon Mountain Trail - KarazwLaimoon

Monday 24 February 2014 (6:30 - 7:30 pm - Open to all)
Language: English














"A Million Steps, Discovering the Lebanon Mountain Trail", is the story of my adventure of discovery on The Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT). The LMT is the first long distance hiking trail in Lebanon. The trail begins in Qbaiyat in the north and finishes 440 km later in Marjaayoun, passing through 75 villages. My journey not only showcases the country’s natural beauty but also it’s rich cultural wealth and heritage. Everyday I would come across some historical structure or site. Or the trail itself might be Ottoman, Roman or even Phoenician. The warmth and generosity we received in the guesthouses as well as the diversity in the cuisine made it a an unforgettable experience. I also discovered the urgent need for preservation of our natural and cultural heritage. A fragile ecology that is under threat.
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Hana El Hibri graduated from AUB, so how does an AUB Engineering major end up writing a book about hiking in the Lebanese mountains? It all started when I married Bassem and he took me on my first mountain adventure into the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming.  After the first week of being miserable, I began to understand the lure the mountains had on him. Since then we have hiked in many countries including Kilimanjar.  It was only natural that when we moved back to Lebanon that we set out to discover OUR mountains.

So why the book? Simply because, it brings together so many things that are important to me: this country’s precious and unique mix of natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, an eco-system threatened by rampant quarries and improper garbage disposal (to name a few) and the desperate need for more extensive and forceful conservation efforts.

Watch the gallery of photos below. They represents views from the Lebanon Mountain Trail, some "green" activities the Trail has engendered and a few maps.